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I think tipping has gotten out of hand . I recently had a new air conditioner installed and the installer was hinting for a tip . I totally ignored it . If someone was cleaning my carpets the thought of a tip would not even cross my mind and I am pretty generous .

I usually tip folks like that if I am generally satified with thier work and the price is reasonable, but feel no obligation one way or the other. I would say half the time they are very appreciative and half the time they seem confused!

There are 2 carpet cleaning services that I use. One is a guy who owns his own truck, and the other is a well-known chain that hires employees. I don't tip the business owner, figuring that he sets his prices based on his overhead. I *sometimes* tip the employees of the chain business, if:

* they are friendly and respectful
* they are careful (we've had our walls scuffed up by sloppy carpet cleaners)
* they do a good, thorough job cleaning the carpets

I'd say we end up tipping the chain guys about 75% of the time.

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Ive always felt tipping is for extra special service. Maybe if its someone I routinely get a service from I would tip. I dont get my carpets cleaned that often When I go get my massage thats a different story..

Ive always felt tipping is for extra special service. Maybe if its someone I routinely get a service from I would tip. I dont get my carpets cleaned that often When I go get my massage thats a different story..

Spent a summer as a carpet cleaner about a thousand years ago. Tips were modest and very sporadic at best. It can be very strenuous work and it was always appreciated by myself and co workers when a cold juice or water was offered.

Remember, much of their work is in apartment buildings near the end of the month and businesses after hours where there is nobody around to offer a compliment on their work, so just a verbal recognition of a job well done was always enough for us to leave smiling.

just my .02 here...i have a duct cleaning company,and often receive tips. more often though,my helper gets it because they feel bad for the hourly guy...not the owner!

moreso than a tip,i would appreciate as mentioned above the offer to use restroom if needed...and when people offer a drink...both are soooo appreciated at times we will go out of our way to please you...jmho

We always offer the workers a soft-drink, but we don't see that as being a tip--it's just a natural thing to do when some body comes over to the house.

But...my wife came home yesterday (as she is wont to do) saying that the car's computer was beeping at her because one of the tires was low on air. So, she pulls into a gas station and the attendant checks all four tires and she tips him $5.00. Somehow, I thought that was excessively generous.

Things must be different where you are. I don't think $10 extra to a plumber would even prompt him to wipe up the mess where he'd been working.

Yes, business is slow here, cash is king. But I was thinking the maid could clean up the plumbers mess and for a small tip I get out of moving the furniture for the wife three times. You'd be suprised what you can negotiate with some of these guys.

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